Lean on Me

• Word Count: (236)
• Date: --
• Place: --
• Form: Optime

ooc text here.

Avinalora was hurt. That was all he knew. The details eluded him, but the whispers of her injury managed to make their way too him. Lelouch had no idea what the extent of the injury was or how she had obtained it. What he did know was that she was injured bad enough to stay inside of Anathema and that it was no ordinary scratch.

Lelouch made his way towards the clinic as he tried to prep himself for the talk ahead. Avinalora was one of his packmates, and as Rakeeb, it was his duty to ensure their safety and happiness. For Lelouch, that meant checking on them if need be. Or at least, that was how he was interpreting the job. It didn't exactly come with a description or guide that he could follow. Heck, Lelouch was pretty sure he had managed to skip half the training as well. However, that didn't mean he could stop trying.

It was midday when he reached the clinic. The weather was finally nice for once and the early spring sun pleasantly warmed his dark coat. One quick inhale told him that Avinalora was around. Lelouch praised his luck, happy that he wouldn't have to go wandering to try and find her. He took a deep breath and headed inside. "Hey," he called to announce his presence; trying to sound as friendly as possible, "mind if I come in?"

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Sorry for the wall of text >.<

Word Count → 1,208

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A small figure stood inside Anathema's clinic, with several her jars spread out in front of her. She was small, about the side of a small jackal. She was thin and lean with not much extra meat coating her frame. She looked delicate with her graceful build, seemingly made of glass. She had long legs that came from her jackal ancestry. She also had a long tail that was as bushy as a fox's. The tail was lashing and flicking, a stark contrast from how tranquil the girl seemed. She had a narrow face and a muzzle that didn't taper. She also had long ears that seemed big for her face. She almost seemed like a fox with her size, but she was a jackal.

Her short fur was predominantly silver, a shade of silver that was the color of moonlight on snow. A darker-hued saddle ran down her back, starting from the back of her ears to her tail. It had black hairs scattered through the saddle, an attribute from her black-backed jackal heritage. The tip of her bushy tail was a white. She stood in her Optime form, her hair was black and would have went down to her shoulders if it hadn't been pulled away from her face in a tight ponytail. Her eye was a forest green that stood out from her winter background.

It was still cold for the desert-adapted hybrid despite it apparently being spring. She didn't wear as much as she would normally wear in the winter, but she wore layers regardless. She had a simple long-sleeved grey shirt that was very simple in design. Over it, she wore a an black leather jacket that was worn half-zipped. The leather jacket was quite intricate. It had another layer of cloth on the inside and was hooded. She also wore a pair of leggings. A wooden crescent moon pendant hung from her neck.

The left side of her face was wrapped in bandages. The bandages covered the area where her left eye had once been and the area around it. The bandage hid a terrible wound. Four scars carved over an empty eye socket.

Avinalora still felt like crap after the incident. Her bandaged face itched, but she knew she shouldn't scratch it. She didn't want to reopen the would. That wouldn't be good for her at all, she would be doomed. So, in effort to keep her mind off of it, her tail was lashed back and forth like an angry cat. It helped her keep her mind off the itch. The vixen was sill mad at herself for her actions. She should have called out to Nyx instead of walking over to her and touching her, but instinct had driven her to. That would be the last time she ever listened to her instincts. There was no one to blame but herself for this.

The fox maiden's sister wanted to keep her sister in the territory while she healed. Apparently, Adrian had grounded her and Stormblade also agreed with it. Her sister had even given her a jacket she had found while trading in efforts to keep her inside the territory, some sort of bribe it seemed. There was no way that was going to happen. The waif was not going to stay in the territory for a couple of months. She had a job to do, which was to heal. And it was almost spring which meant that she needed to be ready to collect herbs. But she couldn't shift into Secui form which limited her travel options severely. She couldn't run in Optime form and her halfling form was her best form if she had to fight. And even if she wanted to leave the territory, someone had to come with her. The Dasa was always busy and the wolf was really slow. So she was grounded, but her sister hadn't said how long she was grounded for. So, she would assume a week and then leave the territory.

The winter wraith was lucky that she had had lost her bad eye. Her left eye was basically blind, but it had detected movement for her. But, when it detected movement in times when she was reading or working on something, it was bothersome. She did, however had to be careful. She didn't want to hit her left side against anything or fall and hit her face. That wouldn't be good for her. So, the pixie decided to have her left hand sweeping the area in front on her left side to made sure she didn't bump or trip over anything. She had decided to stay in the clinic just in case. Plus, it was the best place for her to be. So, she was mixing herbs. She was trying to make a remedy for coughs.

The snow waif was pulled out of her thoughts when she detected someone coming towards the clinic. She was always vigilant, or at least tried to be. With her horrible sight, slow movement, and small size. She needed to know about the person before she could see them, which was important to her safety.

The desert fox scented a fellow Anatheman, a wolf with some dog breeding. She could smell a male with another male's scent clinging to him. Judging by his footsteps, he was in Optime form. She heard him enter the clinic, greeting her and asking if he could come in. Her right side was towards the door, so she turned her head slightly, keeping her left side angled away. He was a night-hued male with red markings. He was tall and skinny. He wore clothing, too. She knew that he was the Rakeeb, but she didn't exactly remember his name.

You're the Rakeeb." The pale physician said, her voice a bit deadpanning and dry. "You can come in here without my permission." He was one of the leaders which meant that he could parade into the clinic if he wanted to. She wasn't feeling up for visitors unless they needed medical treatment and he smelled healthy and the guy's smell on him smelled healthy. And he wasn't running in her shouting which meant no injury had happened. So, why was he here?

"You don't smell sick or injured, and the guy's scent on you smells healthy. You aren't bursting in here in panic, so nobody is dying." The moon-washed medic said, "So why are you here?". She winced slightly as her wound was starting to throb. So, she fished the bottle of willow bark out of the pocket of her jacket and took a few. She hoped the guy, Levi? would make it quick. The jackal hoped he wasn't here for counseling, she wasn't trained for that kind of stuff, nor did she want to be a counselor.

And then the monochrome fox turned towards the hybrid, showing her bandaged face. She didn't want to freak him out, but she wasn't going easy on anyone. The injury she had suffered had made her less patient since she felt uncomfortable. She border lined rude, but she wasn't trying to be. She could claim injury or something if there was back-lash. It was kind of hard to be mad at a cripple.

• Word Count: (281)
• Date: --
• Place: --
• Form: Optime

ooc text here.

Lelouch's social skills were lacking. He tended to prefer to keep to himself and dig into his work. However, once he had been assigned to the special forces all those months ago, Lelouch had at least made an attempt to learn everyone's names and faces. In reality, he should have been making an effort to interact with every member. As Rakeeb, Lelouch owed them at least that much. Still, he couldn't change his nature and memorizing information was just so much easier.

The lack of attention showed when Avinalora responded to his presence in a lifeless fashion. There was no warmth or love in her voice. Lelouch hadn't given her any reason to see him as a comfort. Lelouch ran a hand through his hair as he stepped into the clinic. "Yeah, but... I didn't want to interrupt or intrude." From the multitude of herbs and tools around her, he probably was interrupting. None of it made sense to Lelouch. He couldn't identify a single herb or even guess as to what she was actually doing. It did look important.

Avinalora went straight to business. Lelouch felt a wave of embarrassment pass over him. He cleared his throat and stepped a little more into the room, doing his best to avoid disturbing anything. "No, I'm fine. Bertolt and the pups too." Lelouch's words stuck in his throat when Avinalora turned to face him. The bandages were hard to miss and he felt a painful chill linger in his bones. "Actually, I came to check on you... see how you were doing. I heard... about..." Lelouch pointed to his own face, unable to voice it out loud. "How are you holding up?"

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Avinalora didn't know if the guy was shy or just polite. She wouldn't have minded if he had just barged in here, a lot of people did. Though, if people did barge into the clinic only when there were emergencies and asked to come in for normal stuff, that would make her life a bit easier. The vixen should put up some sort of sign, though she doubted anyone would read it, much less heed it. Well, she could try.

The wolf walked in carefully and the fox maiden didn't know if it was because of the clinic or her. Walking on eggshells around the injured medic. He told her that he and this Bertrolt character and the pups were okay. Wait, pups? Her eyebrow raised slightly, considering the odds of a male producing pups. The waif didn't know if there had been a birth or not; she hadn't heard any screaming. Maybe they had adopted pups or something?

And then the winter wraith turned and the Rakeeb seemed to be shocked. She kind of expected that since it was a big change from her original looks. She had a feeling that the injury would leave a scar, not like it already would with her missing eye. She knew that a lot of injuries, especially ones like hers were going to leave a scar. The healer didn't know if that was good or not, though she would look a bit intimidating. That would be fun.

The man was too shocked to actually say injury out loud. He asked the pale physician how she was holding up. She didn't know exactly how to respond to that. Sure, it wasn't that much of a change for her vision since Nyx had ripped out the blind eye. She did have pain, which was to be expected from an injury. The jackal feel uncomfortable with the itch from the bandage and she lashed her tail when the itch came back. But, she was okay. She could still do her job.

"I'm not the first medic to get injured while treating a patient, Levi." The moon-washed medic said. Her mother had been injured while treating a patient and had a massive scar on her arm. She didn't exactly remember the guy's name, though she did remember it started with an L. She also liked nicknames, but Levi would be temporary. She would find a better one later.

"But I'm okay." The monochrome fox added.

Word Count ➤ 409

lol

Jean-Sébastien Guénette | JadedReality & 8Moments | Table by Sammiie ♥

• Word Count: (353)
• Date: --
• Place: --
• Form: Optime

ooc text here.

The look Avinalora gave him when he spoke of the pups was... odd, to say the least. Lelouch rubbed the back of his neck and shifted awkwardly. Maybe it was the way he said it? Lelouch thought back to his exact phrasing. At first, he didn't really see anything wrong with what he had said. Unless... Lelouch felt a wave of embarrassment as he realized that he might have made it sound like Bertolt had given birth. It was ridiculous for him to expect that everyone knew of the private deal he and Lust had made. Private, being the operative term.

"Lust's pups." Lelouch clarified. "Lust agreed to our surrogate so... two of her pups are, uh... ours." Fatherhood was still an odd feeling. The five surviving pups were only two weeks old. They were tiny, whimpering balls of fluff that were completely dependent on their mother. Lelouch and Bertolt could only go visit their daughters. Granted, Lust literally lived next door to them so it wasn't exactly difficult to pop over whenever he wanted too. Yet, the small separation made the whole situation feel so surreal. He hadn't really wrapped his head around the idea that he was a father. Not yet. Although, Lelouch had a sinking feeling that when it did finally hit, it would feel more akin to a rock plowing into the earth rather than a sudden, soft realization.

Lelouch did a double take when Avinalora called him Levi. His brows furrowed. He should correct her. Levi wasn't his name and it would only lead to future confusion. He really should correct her. Lelouch opened his mouth, but quickly closed it again. Was it rude to correct her? Probably not. Right? Lelouch shifted again, but he couldn't screw up the courage to actually correct her. So, instead he took the cowards way out. "I'm glad to hear you're okay. I just figured I'd check on you. Just to make sure, you know? Even if it isn't the first time something like this has happened. Is there... is there anything I can do for you? Get you something or help out?"

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OOC Here

Word Count → 247

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Levi explained that the pups had been birthed from a surrogate named Lust. Avinalora thought that she had met the woman before, but she didn't remember. And then he said that two of the pups were there's. Lust probably lived up to her name and the litter probably had multiple fathers. The vixen didn't exactly care since she and Adrian had different fathers. But, she did make a note to visit the pups to check on them. She tried to screen new pups for disabilities, being a cripple herself. It would allow the parents to know who to keep a special eye on and helped the pup.

Judging by the Rakeeb's reaction, the fox maiden had probably gotten his name wrong. He didn't correct her though, which was weird. He was of a higher rank, therefore he could correct her. But, he didn't. Maybe being injured and crippled gave her a bit of leeway since she was injured. Or maybe the waif just looked scary. Either one worked.

And then the wolf offered to lend the winter wraith a hand. Her eyebrow raised slightly. She didn't know if he was a healer, though she didn't think he was judging by his scent. He smelled of books. He could have learned about herbs from books, that's how the healer had been educated. She didn't know exactly what an untrained person could do in the clinic, though.

"Do you have any medical training at all?" The monochrome fox asked.

These words are knives and often leave scars

• Word Count: (337)
• Date: --
• Place: --
• Form: Optime

ooc text here.

Lust had given birth to a total of five surviving pups. Lelouch knew he and Bertolt weren't the only fathers. To think otherwise would be naive to the point of stupidity. That was simply how Lust was. What he didn't know was how many fathers there were or how many pups he and Bertolt had actually sired. Lelouch had decided to keep things simple for himself and just assume that two of the pups would belong to his family. It was easier on his head that way. That, and he didn't want to risk ruining the lives of all of Lust's pups. Two was hard enough. Lelouch didn't have enough faith in himself to want to tempt fate even more than he already had.

Avinalora's question was a reasonable one. After all, Lelouch had offered to help her and it was only right that she knew exactly what he was capable of. Ideally, the answer would be yes. Instead, Lelouch had to shake his head. "I've read one of Anatheman logs. It had a description of some basic first aid. But I've never actually put it to practice. So it's all just theory." That wasn't really helpful. Lelouch rubbed the back of his head and wilted a little. "But I'm a quick study. So..."

Good going. Only you could turn a checkup into a lesson. Lelouch chided himself internally. The idea was for him to help a fellow packmate, not further his own insatiable hunger for knowledge. Yet, he couldn't quite help himself. He couldn't help but wonder if his theoretical knowledge could be brought into the practical realm. But guilt kicked him hard. This was supposed to be about Avinalora. He was supposed to be ensuring her wellbeing and happiness.

It could be a zero sum game. Just because he gained something, didn't mean she had to lose it. Ideally, he could learn a little and still be of use to Avinalora. Plus, with his daughters growing fast, it might be best if he learned some basics.

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Avinalora

"The fear of falling apart"

Optime | Day | April | Clinic Sorry for the wait >.<

Word Count: 366

Theoretical medicine? Avinalora didn't know that actually existed. She knew that there could be theories in herbalism, but actual medicine? She knew about midwifery and other healing arts from Adree, having seen the doctor preform procedures and such. She could possibly replicate them. But Lelouch only knew from books.

"Well, we don't have much in terms of first-aid people. And it does a leader well to know this kind of stuff." The winter wraith said as she thought. What could the Rakeeb learn from her? She was a bit iffy on teaching untrained Luperci herbalism since they could accidentally grab the wrong plant and end up killing them. But, the Volac did know that some herbs were too well-known to miss.

The fox maiden began walking towards the table near the jars of herbs. "Well, it doesn't taking a genius to dress a wound, but it doesn't do any good if the wound is already infected." She said, beckoning the man over. "There are a lot of different herbs used to cleanse the wound. But, I'll show you the most recognizable ones." The moon-washed medic hoped that she still some of the leaves and possibly the plants of what she was going to show him.

"This is yarrow." The ghostly jackal said, holding up a stalk with yellow and white flowers. She waited for him to get a closer look and possibly smell it before continuing. "It can stop bleeding and help to disinfect wounds." She paused for a second before continuing, "Crush it up and squeeze the juice into the wound, or you could mix it into water. Whatever works."

And then the fox-tailed female held up a pot containing an aloe vera plant. She kept it here since it was an important herb. She considered adding it to the garden. "Soon" she thought to herself. If she was going to be stuck here, she might as well plant some aloe vera in the gardens.

"This is aloe vera, the holy grail of wound-healing herbs." The monochrome fox said. "Squeeze the juice onto the wound and it will heal it up." She said. And then she placed the pot back onto the table. "Any questions?"

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• Word Count: (337)
• Date: --
• Place: --
• Form: Optime

ooc text here.

At least Avinalora agreed with him. So, he wasn't just satisfying his unending thirst for knowledge. Or well, he was, but at least Avinalora and the pack got something out of it too. That was what counted.

"If you don't mind teaching me, I'd love to learn." Lelouch freely admitted. Hopefully, he at least sounded like a leader. After all, he was supposed to be one. Yet, no matter how much time passed or what happened Lelouch always felt so divorced from the title. He was the Rakeeb, but he wasn't. Not really. Unfortionatly, the pack needed him to play the part and so he dawned the mask. Maybe one day, it have wouldn't be an act.

Lelouch followed Avinalora to the table. It was covered with jars filled with leaves of some kind. Honestly, they all looked the same to him. But they must have meant something to the healer. She instantly jumped into the lesson, explaining the need to fight infections. Lelouch's gaze wandered across the pots. Could a bunch of leaves really stop an infection? It seemed pretty silly to Lelouch, but he'd seen it work before. So, there had to be something going on; some sort of magic or unknown science.

Avinalora lifted up the first sample and Lelouch gave it a quick sniff. He didn't have to get that close either. The plant practically reeked. A sticky, sweet smell emanated from the flowers. He pulled back and wrinkled his nose. Avinalora continued with her lesson. Strong smell, strong effects. he thought. That was all he had time to think about as the lesson continued, moving on to a plant with broad, trick leaves and tiny spines. There was a hint of an oder on the complete opposite of the spectrum from the yarrow. Did all medicinal plants have strong smells?

"Yeah." Lelouch responded when Avinalora asked if he had any questions. "How and where would I find these?"

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Avinalora

"The fear of falling apart"

Optime | Day | April | Clinic Maybe Lelocuh could suggest a greenhouse or something?

Word Count: 311

Avinalora didn't mind teaching people about herbs. It might actually save her the trouble of healing simple things such as a small cut and focus on more important things. Lelouch was an eager student and it almost seemed like she was talking to a fellow pack-mate rather than her leader. Honestly, she didn't know if he even thought of himself as a leader judging by his actions.

The winter wraith noticed the Rakeeb's reaction to the yarrow. She didn't think it smelled that bad, though she was used to the smells by now. And he obviously wasn't. She remembered what her mother had said about herbs. They smelled and tasted bad to keep animals from eating them. The fox maiden thought that the plants were doing a good job. A small smile pulled at the edges of her mouth as she said, "They smell and taste bad to keep predators away."

The wolf did have questions which the ghostly jackal actually wanted. She preferred questions to have purpose. And his question of where they were found was one. The fox-tailed female didn't teach people that often and it was refreshing to hear those kinds of questions instead of medical questions from patients that were often things such as "How long will it take to heal?" and "Why does it taste so gross?"

The moon-washed maiden took a moment to think before responding. "Yarrow can be found in grasslands and open forests," She took a bit of time to think before answering the question on aloe vera. She didn't find the plant growing naturally, she procured a few pots of the plant from a trader. "And I got the aloe vera from a trader; I'm not sure where to find it, though." The monochrome fox said with a slight shrug. And then she added, "Though, I think it can be grown here."

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